. >> people incarcerated were going to come out into an environment where having a felony conviction was going to make it difficult to find jobs. being able to start your own business or be self-employed seemed like a very viable option. >> after having a conviction of manslaughter, i didn't think anybody would want to hire me. so the idea of starting my own business and being my own boss and still being able to make a living was very appealing to me. >> so far, about 100 inmates have completed the course and 5% to 10% of them have started businesses. but actually starting a business right out of prison isn't the goal. creating the confidence so someone could start one is. >> hey, there. >> hey, tonya. good seeing you. >> yeah. >> i felt so hopeless for so many years. i thought, what's the point of going on? nobody is going to want me, people are going to judge me, criticize me for the rest of my life. >> tonya was one of the first students to ever take the classes while serving an 8 1/2 year sentence. while she hopes to one day open up her own business, the entrepreneurial program h